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The effectiveness of sponge‐type intraoral applicators for applying topical fluorides in institutionalized older adults
Author(s) -
Saunders Ralph H.,
Davila C. Edgar,
Hayes Abby L.,
Fu Jean,
Zero Domenick T.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
special care in dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.328
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1754-4505
pISSN - 0275-1879
DOI - 10.1111/j.1754-4505.1994.tb01070.x
Subject(s) - fluoride , medicine , dentistry , nursing homes , nursing , inorganic chemistry , chemistry
Many older adults who reside in nursing homes have disabilities which limit their capacity to benefit from the usual protocols for prevention of dental caries. This is a report of a study of the effectiveness of an alternative method of applying topical fluoride in the institutionalized elderly. Fluoride gel (1.1% NaF) was applied to the facial tooth surfaces of 10 elderly nursing home residents using a sponge‐type intraoral applicator (IA). Subsequently, the same subjects rinsed with a commercial fluoride solution (0.05% NaF). Salivary fluoride levels were then assessed by the Taves (1968) method. The IA with fluoride produced significantly higher salivary fluoride levels over a period of three hours compared with rinsing.